Casric Stars coach an Orlando Pirates supporter? | OneFootball

Interview

Casric boss sheds light on Pirates ties

Photo: Grant Pitcher/ Gallo Images

Casric Stars head coach and Chairman Bucs Mthombeni has addressed suggestions that he's an avid Orlando Pirates supporter.

This comes after the Motsepe Foundation Championship outfit dumped the Soweto giants out of the Nedbank Cup in the Round of 16 following a 5-4 penalty shootout victory on Saturday.

When quizzed after the match on whether he's a Pirates fan, Mthombeni poured cold water on the suggestions, but confirmed a plethora of his family members do support the club.

“My late mom was a number one Pirates fan, and then my uncle, Moses the late Mahlangu, I think you may know him, he was a very close friend to Jomo Sono, he was a Pirates fan. I think he recruited most of my family members to be Orlando Pirates fans,” said the Casric boss.

"But I was the only neutral one because I wanted to pursue my dream of coaching, I said I'd rather stay neutral. And my son, the same goalkeeper who kept a clean sheet, is a Pirates fan, and my other son Mondli Mthombeni is a Pirates fan.

"Now they are recruiting everybody in the family to be a Pirates fan. What makes me more excited for the boys - I dedicate this win to them because at home it's only me and my wife who are neutral, but everybody is a Pirates fan.

“And this boy, the players had a doubt about him to start, Wandile Mthombeni, they asked if he's sure he will give it all. I jokingly said, ‘You signed a contract, if ever you cannot commit yourself here, I think your job is going to be on the line.”

He added: "But definitely most of the family members are Pirates fans, even my younger brother is a Pirates fan. He even decided that he's not coming to the stadium because he didn't know where he's going to stand.

Meanwhile, Casric will await their fate in the quarter-finals, with the draw set to be conducted on Monday evening.